


Halloween Happily Ever After

by GeckoGirl89



Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fred Ships It, Getting Together, Halloween, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Lorne Ships It, Mutual Pining, Parental Angel and Cordelia, Random Strangers Ship It, Season/Series 03, Team as Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, everyone ships it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 01:53:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8426053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeckoGirl89/pseuds/GeckoGirl89
Summary: Angel glanced over at Cordy in confusion. She knew he never did anything for Halloween. "Sorry, I don't celebrate dead people."She rolled her eyes. "You are dead people."





	1. Five Days Before Halloween

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired by this prompt on otpisms on tumblr (http://otpisms.tumblr.com): _Person A: What are you doing this Halloween? Person B: Sorry, I don’t celebrate the dead people._ I instantly imagined Angel and Cordelia saying these lines, and somehow it turned into a really fluffy Season 3 get together fic.
> 
> This fic is set during Halloween in season 3. It is set after "Birthday" (3.11) and before "Waiting in the Wings" (3.13), a.k.a. the magical time when Cordy isn't dying from visions anymore and we don't have any angst about the Groosalug. I'm ignoring whatever time of year that those episodes were supposed to be for the purposes of this fic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is from Angel's POV. The conversation between Lorne and Angel is deliberately similar to their conversation in 3.13 (Waiting in the Wings).

Cordelia walked into the kitchen while Angel was holding Connor and heating up his bottle. "So, Angel, what are you doing for Halloween this year?"

Angel glanced over at Cordy in confusion. She knew he never did anything for Halloween. "Sorry, I don't celebrate dead people."

She rolled her eyes. "You are dead people."

"Hence, why I don't celebrate it." Angel shook his head. Cordelia could get the oddest ideas sometimes.

"I meant for Connor." The egg timer in the kitchen beeped and Angel removed the bottle from the warm water. He tested the formula against his skin, and finding that the temperature was right, began to feed Connor.

Angel looked at Connor and frowned in thought. "Isn't he a little too young for trick-or-treating?"

"Well, yeah, but there's different stuff happening in L.A. for families on Halloween, and I found an event that is supposed to happen at night and is totally baby friendly on one of the parenting message boards."

If Angel had a pulse, he was sure it would be racing right now. "You read... parenting message boards?"

Cordy shrugged like it was no big deal. "Well, yeah, I figured it would be good for me to keep on top of this stuff." She beamed at Connor. "Especially since your Aunt Cordy can find stuff with Google more easily than your daddy! Yes she can!" She turned to face Angel. "I can send you the links I found if you want."

Angel grabbed a clean dishtowel and draped it over his shoulder. He adjusted Connor so that he could burp and patted his back. "Yeah. Sure."

Cordy handed Angel a piece of computer paper advertising some event called "The Annual Monster Mash Carnival." "Anyway, here's the flyer for it. It looks like there's a lot of good activities for all ages, so I thought it would be a good idea for everyone to go. Since it's Halloween, even Lorne can come with us. We really need to get Connor out and about more when we can. One of your parenting books said that a variety of different experiences would help stimulate his brain development."

Angel was stunned by how motherly Cordelia sounded. She was reading parenting books and applying the advice to Connor. His soul glowed with affection for her. "I'll, uh, I'll go check out the website."

"Let me know what you think later." She turned her attention to Connor and kissed the top of his head. _Lucky baby._ "I'll see you in a bit, little man." Cordy left for the lobby and Angel watched her walk away with the familiar sense of longing he had felt the past several months and a whole bunch of new questions.

* * *

That evening, Angel was putting Connor to bed. His sweet son looked up at him from his crib with an honest, open expression. He sighed and decided to pour out his heart to the one person who he felt he could talk to. "Women are complicated, Connor. It's something you'll figure out when you're older." Connor waved his arms in the air at Angel. "At your age, it's not so hard. You would think being as old as I am would make it easier, but it doesn't. Take Cordy for instance." Connor blew a spit bubble, and Angel smiled faintly. "She calls herself Aunt Cordy, but then she goes and does stuff like read parenting books and plan stuff for you to do on holidays. I don't see your Aunt Fred doing that." Connor yawned and blinked his eyes sleepily. "You're right. It's probably just wishful thinking on my part. Even if she does want to be your mom, it's only because you're such a sweet little boy. It doesn't mean she wants anything else."

"You know, Angelcakes, you would probably get better love advice if you talked to someone who could talk back." Lorne paused. "Or someone who isn't falling asleep."

Angel tensed and turned to face the proverbial firing squad. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough. More importantly, Cordelia?"

Angel shifted uncomfortably and gazed at a fascinating spot on the carpet. "What about Cordelia?"

"Other than the little speech about how you want her to be Connor's mom and how you're head over heels in love with her? Gee, I wouldn't know."

Angel crossed his arms and pouted. "I didn't say I was in love with her." He hadn't. _Technically._

"You didn't have to, strudel. The kyerumption vibes between you two lately have been through the roof."

There was that word, again, kyerumption. Angel was really starting to hate that word. "There aren't any vibes between Cordelia and me," Angel insisted. _At least not any mutual vibes_ , he added mentally.

Lorne rolled his eyes and glanced toward the heavens as if asking for strength. "Angel, I'm an anagogic demon. It's literally my job to pick up on vibes, and right now, I don't even need to use my ability to pick up on the vibes coming from you."

Angel uncrossed his arms, defeated and unable to argue against Lorne's pronouncement. "It's just, even if there are vibes-- and I'm not saying that there are-- it's not like I could do anything." Angel exhaled a breath he didn't need to hold and finished with a soft tone. "I can't offer her anything."

"Pumpkin, if this is about your whole happiness clause issue, you need to get over it. Just because you can't be perfectly happy doesn't mean you can't be really happy."

"Cordy deserves better than that."

"Don't you think Cordy should be the one to decide what she deserves?" At Angel's silence, Lorne continued. "Of course, the only way she would be able to decide that is if you actually say something. If I were you, I would say something soon. You wouldn't want to miss your chance with her."

Lorne walked out of the room, leaving Angel with his advice to consider.


	2. All Hallows' Eve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly from Cordelia's POV (except for a scene in the middle and the very end). It's much longer than the previous chapter.

_A few days later..._

Cordy zipped up Connor's Halloween costume and talked to him as she pulled on the hood. "You are just the cutest little crimefighter ever! You and your daddy will be so cute, what with him being the dark avenger and all." She removed the cape from the plastic bag and turned Connor around so that she could attach the velcro to the back of his suit. "Da, na, na, na, na, na, na, Batman! Batman!" Connor giggled and clapped his hands at the Batman theme song. "Doesn't your Aunt Cordy come up with the best ideas for Halloween costumes?" Cordy placed Connor back in his crib as she checked the diaper bag to make sure it was properly packed for their evening out. She remembered when she had shopped for Connor's costume a couple of days ago.

_Cordelia was searching through the display of Halloween costumes and considering what would work for Connor and what Angel might approve of. She chuckled as she got to a child's vampire costume, complete with a black and red cape. "Oh Connor, I'm sure your father would love that." Angel was very opposed to the misconceptions prevalent about vampires in popular culture, and she couldn't imagine him ever putting his son in a typical vampire costume. Besides, it was clearly meant for a toddler, anyway._

_"Can I help you with something, ma'am?"_

_Cordelia turned to the left to face the sales associate. "Yes, actually. I'm looking for a costume for a little boy. He's almost two months old."_

_The woman grinned at Cordelia. "Aww, his first Halloween! Let me show you where we keep the costumes for infants." She led Cordy over to a display with a variety of different outfits for baby boys and girls. "A word of advice-- I would look for something that zips up like a typical onesie. It's easier in case he needs a diaper change, and wearing something similar to what he normally wears should keep your son from getting too fussy."_

_Cordelia paused, unsure what to say for a moment. "He's, uh, he's not my son. I'm shopping for a friend."_

_The woman's smile turned strained. "Sorry for my mistake. Let me know if you need anything else."_

Cordy shook her head as her mind returned to her current surroundings. _Gosh, that was awkward._ It hadn't been the first time Cordelia had to inform someone Connor wasn't actually her child, and she hated doing it every single time. The person who thought she was Connor's mother always acted so apologetic and worried that they had somehow offended her, and Cordy hated putting people in that position. _And then there's the fact that you actually wish those people weren't wrong._ Cordy looked wistfully at the adorable baby in his crib. She had never imagined herself as a mother, but she had bonded with Connor the instant she held him in her arms. The fond look Angel gave her and Connor when she interacted with him made her heart soar with affection. Cordelia put the diaper bag on her shoulder and went over to the crib to pick up Connor, who smiled at her when he was lifted into her arms. _Best not to think about what you can't have_ , Cordy reminded herself. _Even if you can't be his mom, you'll always be Aunt Cordy._

"Come on, little man. I'm sure your daddy is impatiently waiting for you downstairs."

When Cordelia arrived downstairs, Fred was the first to spot her and Connor. She squealed and ran over to Connor. "Oh, my god Cordy! That has to be the cutest baby costume I've ever seen." Connor giggled at Fred's enthusiasm.

Gunn nodded approvingly. "Connor looks like a badass little superhero."

Angel smiled at Connor and Cordelia. "You did a good job picking it out, Cordy."

Cordy beamed. "Thank you." She passed Connor over to his father and dug out the digital camera from the diaper bag. "Say cheese!" Angel smiled for the camera and made sure that Connor was facing the camera as Cordy took the picture. Cordy grinned at the image she captured and showed it to Wesley, who was standing next to her. "His outfit looks so cute next to his father's."

"I'm impressed. I didn't know there were Batman costumes for babies."

"Oh, there's all kinds of costumes. You just have to look around a little bit."

Lorne let out a whistle as he walked into the room. "Wow, princess, Connor looks just like a mini-Angel. He's the best dressed person in the room, excluding myself of course."

Wesley checked his watch. "The carnival should be starting in fifteen minutes. Let's go, shall we?" The Angel Investigations team headed outside to Angel's car to drive to the carnival.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Cordelia was internally congratulating herself on finding this event online. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, including Connor and Angel. Multiple people had commented on Connor's costume and how well it went with Angel, who was wearing his usual leather duster. A couple of people had also come up to Lorne, including a teenage girl who complimented his "really realistic looking makeup" and a director at a local theater company who wanted to know who had done his makeup tonight. Lorne said that he had done it himself, and the director handed him one of his business cards and asked Lorne to call him to see if he could put him in contact with the owner to apply for a job at the theater as a makeup artist. Everyone got a good giggle out of that, with Cordelia ruefully commenting that she had tried to break into the industry for years, and all Lorne had to do was step outside.

Right now, everyone had just seen a puppet show for the kids involving vampires, witches, and a Frankenstein monster. Connor had seemed to enjoy the show with the cute puppets, but Angel was less enthused.

"How much misinformation could they pack into a single show? They had the sleeping in a coffin thing, the overdone Dracula accent, and the whole turning into a bat thing. I tell you, Bram Stoker has a lot to answer for."

Cordy rolled her eyes at Angel's little rant. "Angel, it's just a show for the kids, and it's put on by people who don't even know vampires are real. Besides, if Dennis was here, I doubt he would be complaining half as much about the story they read about ghosts, and that was just as incorrect."

Wesley smirked. "Well, Dennis is more mature than Angel in general." Angel glared at his friend, who frowned pensively, unaware of Angel's irritation. "Although, I must say, the widespread inaccuracies about vampires and other supernatural creatures at this event are troubling."

Angel turned to Cordy, triumphant. "See, Wes agrees with me."

"Wes is being a watcher nerd. What really matters is that Connor is having fun." She leaned her face over Angel's shoulder. "You're having a good time, aren't you, sweetie?" Connor grinned and reached a hand towards Cordy's hair.

"Speaking of the little nipper, isn't it going to be his bedtime soon?" Lorne asked.

Cordy checked the watch she wore on her left wrist. "According to the time, there's going to be a laser light show that starts in about five minutes and lasts for ten. I guess we'll watch that and go home afterward. Then, when Connor's in bed, we can watch those movies Fred rented."

Fred glanced over at one of the nearby concession stands. "I'm getting kind of hungry. I'm gonna go get one of those candied apple things and join you in a few."

Lorne nodded. "Sounds like a good idea, Fred. I could go for one of those myself." Fred and Lorne walked off together to the concession stand.

Gunn nudged Wesley. "Hey English, wanna bet on that witch ring toss game?"

Wes grinned and started strolling towards the game stand. "I'll bet 10 bucks that I'll win. You're forgetting how I beat you at darts last week."

Gunn quickly caught up to him. "Yeah, I have a feeling I'll make my money back tonight." They continued to lightheartedly bicker as they made their way towards the game.

Cordy glanced away from the competitive friends and looked at the map she had been given when they entered the carnival. "Come on, Angel, the light show is supposed to be over by the gift shop," she said, indicating the direction with a tilt of her head. "We don't want to miss out on the good seats."

A couple of minutes later, Angel, Cordelia and Connor sat in the front row of chairs. Fred and Lorne returned shortly with their candied apples and sat to the left of Angel and Cordy. While they were waiting for Wes and Gunn to return, Cordelia asked to hold Connor. She placed him in her lap and leaned down to whisper in his ear about the upcoming show. A man and woman with a six year old daughter sat in the chairs to the right of Angel and Cordy.

"Hi, I haven't seen you around before. First time here?" the man asked Angel. 

"First time I heard about it. Name's Angel."

"Mark," the man replied, shaking Angel's hand. "I've been here a couple times. It's one of the best events in the area for families."

"I was lucky that Cordy here found out about it online." Cordy flashed a smile at Angel in gratitude before returning her attention to Connor, who was tugging on her shirt with his tiny fist.

"Yeah, it was the same thing with me and my wife, Cynthia. The three of you make a really beautiful family, by the way."

Cordelia smiled at Connor, pretending that she hadn't heard what Mark said and preparing herself for the upcoming discomfort everyone would feel when Angel corrected him. _God, I hate this part._

But instead of doing what she thought he would, Angel didn't tell Mark the truth. "Thanks," he replied with a happy tone. He paused, and his voice sounded softer. "I'm really lucky."

Cordelia gazed at him in shock. The tender, loving way Angel was looking at her and Connor was making it hard for her to breathe.

"Hey, Gunn and Wes are back! Where were you guys anyway?" Fred's exclamation caused Cordy to break her intense stare with Angel. She glanced at Gunn, who was holding a small stuffed pumpkin in his arms, and finally felt like she could breathe again.

Gunn grinned proudly. "Just kicking English's butt at the ring toss game. Won a prize for Connor too." He handed the toy to Cordy, who took it with a grateful smile and held it in front of Connor, who babbled in joy and clutched at it with both hands.

Wesley shook his head, feigning irritation at Gunn. "It was just a silly carnival game."

"Says the guy who lost. Admit it, English, you'd be bragging if you'd won."

"As interesting as this back and forth is, I think you guys might want to sit down," Lorne said. "It looks like the light show is about to start."

Gunn and Wes sat down in the seats behind Fred and Lorne, and Cordelia turned her attention forward to see one of the employees introducing the light show. As the light show began, Cordy paid attention to the way Connor's eyes lit up as he saw all of the pretty colors, but her thoughts were stuck in a few minutes ago. She contemplated what Angel had said to Mark and the way he looked at her, and her heart fluttered in her chest as she wondered what it could mean.

* * *

When the team got back home, Angel went to put Connor to bed and Fred prepared a big bowl of popcorn for herself and whoever wanted to share with her. With Fred's legendary appetite, Cordelia had a feeling she would be eating most of it. When Angel came downstairs, Cordy made sure that she was sitting next to him on the couch. After mulling over Angel's actions tonight, Cordelia formed a plan to test the waters with him that she hoped would work out. Lorne was sitting next to Cordy, and Fred sat between Wesley and Gunn on the floor in front of them. The baby monitor was placed on an end table next to the couch.

 _The Exorcist_ played, and during the first scary scene, Cordelia startled and clung to Angel's arm. Angel glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, and Cordelia shrugged sheepishly. "I wasn't expecting the little girl to do that." Angel gazed back at the movie, and he didn't notice the disappointed look that crossed Cordelia's face.

By the middle of the movie, Cordelia felt embarrassed and frustrated. She had practically wrapped herself around Angel's side like a barnacle, but he didn't seem to notice. _It could be worse,_ she thought. _At least he isn't pushing me away._ When she heard crying over the baby monitor, she quickly got up, grateful for the opportunity to get away from Angel. "I'll go check on Connor and see what he wants."

Lorne stood up and stretched. "Yeah, I could use a bathroom break."

Fred hit pause on the remote. "We'll wait for you guys to get back." She stared up at Cordy with a worried expression. _God, am I that obvious?_

Cordy smiled tightly at Fred and left as quickly as she could without seeming suspicious.

* * *

_Angel POV_

Angel frowned as Cordelia practically dashed out of the room. _Is the movie really scaring her that much?_

"Man, I don't know what's up with Barbie. She's been acting weird all night," Gunn commented.

"Yes, her behavior has been rather odd." Angel glanced at Wesley, who had a puzzled look on his face. "I don't understand why this movie should bother her so much. It's less frightening than the many things we have encountered."

"Especially with those Imax visions she gets. Girl has seen way more freaky stuff than this movie," Gunn added.

"We performed an exorcism a couple of years ago on a truly disturbing child, and Cordelia seemed to take it in her usual stride," Wesley recalled. "I'm not sure why this movie would be any different. Fred, for example, clearly isn't disturbed by this film."

Fred flopped her head against the couch like a marionette without strings and let out an exasperated groan. "God, how can y'all be so dumb?"

Wesley scowled. "Excuse me?"

"Angel at least has an excuse, being ancient and all, but I don't know why the two of you are so oblivious."

"What are we being oblivious to, Fred?" Angel asked.

"Cordy was basically doing the girl equivalent to the whole fake yawn and put your arm around your date thing that guys do. She wasn't actually freaked out by the movie."

Gunn shook his head. "Damn, I hadn't thought of it like that. I got my first girlfriend with that fake yawn move."

Fred nodded, clearly satisfied that someone agreed with her. "Exactly. As for why I wasn't acting scared? No offense Wesley, Charles, but I just wanted to watch the movie and didn't feel like hitting on either one of you."

Angel opened and closed his mouth a few times, at a loss for words. "Cordelia was flirting with me?"

Fred glared at him sharply. "Have you not been listening to a word I said? There was _moira_ , Angel. Tons and tons of moira floating all over the place." Fred sat up and munched her popcorn. In his peripheral vision, Angel could see Wesley mouthing the word _moira_ to himself over and over again, trying to decipher the unfamiliar term. Angel, who was familiar with what it meant, looked towards the stairs of the hotel with hope and anticipation.

* * *

 

_Meanwhile, upstairs..._

Cordy rocked Connor to sleep after changing his diaper. Depressed, she confided her troubles to the baby.

"Oh Connor, your Aunt Cordy made such an idiot of herself downstairs," she began. "At least your daddy didn't understand what was going on. When you get older, I'm definitely going to have to teach you about women, because your father is completely clueless. For the record, when a girl who has seen as much as your Aunt Cordy has clings to you during a scary movie, she wants you to wrap your arm around her, not sit there like a stiff lump and ignore her."

She heard footsteps entering Angel's room and tensed. "That kid is going to make a good therapist someday. I might have to hire him or else he's going to put me out of business."

Cordelia continued to rock Connor and moved over by the crib to put Connor down once he finally fell asleep. "Lorne. So I'm guessing you heard everything. Way to make this night even more humiliating. At this rate, Wes and Gunn are going to jump out and surprise me at any second."

Lorne placed his hand on Cordy's shoulder. "They're still downstairs, so you don't need to worry about that, sugar plum. How are you feeling?"

Cordy looked at Lorne's sympathetic red eyes and darted her gaze away quickly, certain that the pity she saw would crush her if she looked at him for one more second. "I feel really stupid. With everything Angel said to that Mark guy, I thought he might have feelings for me. Way to misread the situation, huh?"

"You didn't misread the situation at all, sweetie. Angel loves you, too."

Cordy steadied her hand on Connor's crib, feeling as if she was about to faint. "Angel loves me?"

"He admitted as much to me a few days ago. Once I pried it out of him, of course."

"But what about that whole thing downstairs?"

"Subtle isn't exactly going to work on Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome. He's too afraid to approach you. He told me he has nothing to offer you."

Cordelia huffed. "The nerve of that stupid vampire."

Lorne's responding grin was dazzling. "You reacted to that exactly how I knew you would. What do you say we go downstairs and you give Angel a piece of your mind?"

Cordelia felt more determined that she had in weeks. "Yeah, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind and then some." She patted Lorne's arm companionably. "Thanks, Lorne."

"No problem, hon. All in a day's work. Though at this point, I'm considering opening my own matchmaking business. I should be getting paid for playing Cupid."

Cordy and Lorne's laughter followed them downstairs.

* * *

When Cordy returned, she stood in front of the couch and took a deep breath. _It's now or never._ "Angel, I need to talk to you in Wesley's office for a bit."

Angel gulped and sprang off of the couch. "Yeah, I need to talk to you too."

Cordelia turned around and briskly walked to Wesley's office. She could hear Angel's footsteps following her. She thought she heard Gunn asking about the movie and Fred shushing him, but she couldn't be sure.

Once Angel was in the office and closed the door behind him, Cordelia looked at Angel and felt her nervousness return. _How do I even start this?_ "You said you wanted to talk, so talk, Angel."

"Why were you acting so freaked out about _The Exorcist_?"

 _Damn, I didn't think he was going to ask that._ "Why didn't you tell that guy at the carnival we aren't a couple? Why did you let him think Connor and us are a family?" she retorted.

Angel clenched his hands into fists and glanced over at the filing cabinet. "I... every time I have to tell somebody you aren't Connor's mom, it feels like a lie. It feels like I'm lying to them and to myself. I guess I... I guess I..."

"You wish it was true, don't you?" Cordy asked softly.

When Angel gazed at her, her heart broke at the depth of despair in his eyes. He was practically crying right in front of her. _Because of her._ "Yeah. I know it's impossible and can never happen, but I just--"

Cordy couldn't stand to leave Angel in suspense for one more second. She reached her hands up to the back of his neck and pulled his face down to meet hers. Cordelia panicked when he froze, but then he made a muffled sound of surprise, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her back. _Thank God._

When Cordy drew back from the kiss, she placed her hands against Angel's chest and panted. She was about to say something, but then Angel beat her to it.

He was smiling as if she had given him the entire world. "So, I guess it's not impossible, huh?"

"Not at all. I love you, Angel."

He was beaming right now. _Angel._ **_Beaming._** Two words she never thought would go together, and yet they did. "I love you, too." He frowned. "But, Cordy, what about the curse?"

She straightened the lapel of his shirt even though it didn't really need straightening. Honestly, Cordelia just wanted to touch Angel now that she knew she could. "Not going to pretend that I wish things weren't different on that front, but it's not like we can't try to find some loophole. I found a way to live with the visions when everyone thought that was impossible, so I can try to find a way around this too. And if we can't..." She gazed into Angel's eyes, willing him to understand. "If we can't, I just want to be with you in any way that I can."

Angel was still frowning, and he sounded guilty. "But you deserve so much more than that. And it's not just the curse, Cordy. You deserve more than I could ever give you."

Cordy backed away from Angel and glared at him sternly. "No, Angel. We're not doing this."

Angel looked as if she had slapped him. "We're not doing what?"

"This whole martyry, 'woe is me, I feel all guilty and won't let myself be happy,' schtick. It's bullshit, Angel, and I'm not going to put up with it. I've decided that I want to be with you, and you are just going to have to learn to deal with that." She jabbed her finger into his chest to emphasize her point. "Got it, buster?"

Angel was looking at her in a fond way that was very familiar. Cordelia was finally starting to understand what it really meant. "You're amazing."

Cordelia preened. "I know, right." She pecked him lightly on the lips and held out her hand, which he took immediately. "Now let's go watch the rest of the movie, and I can cuddle you without having to pretend to be scared of the demon."

They exited Wesley's office and the rest of Angel Investigations stared at them shamelessly. When they sat down on the couch, Cordelia rested her head on Angel's shoulder and Angel wrapped his arm around her. When nobody turned on the T.V., Cordy glanced towards Fred. "Fred, I think Gunn was saying he wanted to watch the movie when Angel and I went to go talk."

Gunn shook his head. "So, y'all are gonna act like nothing's different? Angel is still Angel, right?"

"Yep, still Angel." Cordelia beamed and kissed Angel's cheek.

"Just checking," Gunn replied. "About time already," he muttered.

Fred was practically bouncing in excitement. "I think this is great! I just knew it was bound to happen some time! What do you think, Wesley?"

"Well, I can't say that I'm exactly surprised by this development. As long as we don't have to deal with an re-emergence of Angelus, I have no objections."

"Cordy and I know how to be careful," Angel said. A look of understanding passed between him and Wesley, who nodded at Angel's serious expression.

"And I helped facilitate the whole thing," Lorne added. "So now that we've all talked about it and know that everyone approves, let's go back to the movie."

Fred resumed the movie, and the team watched the rest of it in a comfortable silence. Cordelia snuggled into Angel's side and grew so comfortable that she fell asleep against his shoulder. When Angel felt her heartbeat slow, he gazed at her beautiful face, kissed her temple, and wrapped his arm more tightly around her. He knew that he would never truly deserve her or Connor, but now that she had unexpectedly chosen to be with him, regardless of all the obstacles and drawbacks, he vowed to himself that he would work to be worthy of her every single day. He looked at his other friends and felt thankful for the blessings in his life.


End file.
